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I'm currently building a set of templates for an Adirondack chair, and have come across a problem that will jump out once I start to use the patterns.

For the back of the chair, the rail needs to be cut at a 6° angle, so that it matches the angle that the rear of the chair is at. How would I set up the router so that I can get this angle correct?

I'm trying to do as much with the router and patterns as I can, because if I use the band saw, I'd have a variance in the final cuts - I want to be as consistent as possible.

FreeMan
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PeteCon
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    Normally you would either make that cut on a table saw/bandsaw, or cut it to length by pattern and then make the angle vis sanding, planing, or some similar second process. – keshlam Jun 08 '16 at 22:56
  • It is not clear to me which parts you are discussing. A picture.sketch with an arrow would help. – Ashlar Jun 09 '16 at 18:58
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    Completely OT: I replaced 6degree with 6° 'cause it looks fancier! On Windows, hold the Alt-Key down, then type 248 on the numeric keypad (it won't work if you use the numbers above the letters). There are similar methods for Mac and *nix, I'm sure. Google alt key codes for listings of all the codes. – FreeMan Jun 13 '16 at 19:37

1 Answers1

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Many (most?) adirondack chair designs have flat backs rather than curved backs, making the cuts for that back bar relatively simple since it is just a bevel cut across the edge of a straight board.

Since you mentioned wanting to use a router at an angle, you can get tilt bases for most compact/trim routers. Since you're only talking a few degrees, you could also make a slanted base for a larger router, but if you needed to tilt significantly (e.g., 30 or 45 degrees) the broader base of the larger router would interfere and you would need a much longer bit in order to make the same cut.

Here are a few additional options:

  1. Table saw with the blade tilted
  2. Router table with angled auxiliary tabletop
  3. Jointer with fence tilted
  4. Bandsaw with table tilted
  5. Hand plane
rob
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  • Thanks Rob. The design I'm working to has a curved back, but a slanted base for a router sounds like a possibility. I could use a curved spokeshave, a good plan B, but I'm trying to reduce the possibility of differences. – PeteCon Jun 09 '16 at 03:24
  • Thanks for the clarification. If you do use a spokeshave, you may find a flat one easier to handle for long, sweeping curves, although a curved spokeshave is necessary for tighter curves. – rob Jun 09 '16 at 15:35
  • Rob: I have both, but I've always understood it as rounded for inside curves, flat for outside curves. I'll try both - that way I get to try out twice as many cuss words! :) – PeteCon Jun 09 '16 at 23:03
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    A bevel-cutting bit would also be a possibility, though I'm not sure what's available at 6 degrees. – keshlam Jun 10 '16 at 22:27
  • Yes, that is another option--for example, if you can find a large enough dovetail bit, you may be able to reshape the cutters slightly to make a 6 degree cut. – rob Jun 19 '16 at 22:07